When Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) recently attacked two major trail projects–an extension of the Cedar Lake Rail Trail in downtown Minneapolis and a historical bridge rehabilitation connecting Nebraska and South Dakota–as examples of wasteful government spending, he may have expected the usual opposition from bicycle and pedestrian advocates around the country. He may not, however, have expected a full-on rebuttal from U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, who wrote that "bike paths [are] a key ingredient in our livability initiative to allow people to live, work, and get around without a car. We don't call that waste; we call it progress."

Thank you, Sec. LaHood, for speaking up for active transportation. Add your voice to the chorus calling for investment in a better transportation network by signing up for action alerts from Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.

Photo of Sec. LaHood by BikePortland on Flickr.